A Simple, Rapid, and Clinically Transferable LC–MS/MS Method for the Detection of Sex Steroid Hormone Metabolic Profiles

Comprehensive profiling of sex steroid hormones (SSHs) is of great significance for elucidating the pathogenesis of SSHs-related diseases. However, it is challenging because of the low endogenous abundance and the presence of multiple analytes with similar structures and isomers. In this study, we developed a simple, rapid, and clinically transferable method for the profiling of 28 SSHs in human serum samples. After liquid-liquid extraction, the serum samples were directly detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Twenty-three isomers or structural analogues were separated on Kinetex F5 column within 14 min. Good linearities were achieved in the quantitative range for each analyte with the regression coefficients R² > 0.99088. The limits of quantitation of the method were in the range from 0.005 to 1 ng/mL. The recoveries were in the range of 90.4%-107.9% with the intraday and interday precisions within 14.35%. This method had been successfully applied for the determination of SSHs in human serum samples with simple operation and good accuracy and could provide a viable approach for clinical screening of SSHs.